Just back from the VPPA (Virginia Professional Photographers Association) convention in Portsmouth and once again I took so much away from the experience of getting together with other photographers to share, as well as participate in presentations from some of the most talented professionals in our business. Personal and professional growth is so important in any business, but particularly important when you are in a business where fresh creative energy is so vital in delivering the very best to your clients. There are some pretty awesome photographers all over the world, and it is so cool that we can all share through internet forums and blogs etc. But, there is really nothing like the face to face that you get when people convene from all over our state to share what is going down in our very own neighborhood. There is some amazing talent out there and we are well represented in our little part of the state, too. Talented people who are committed to their craft, what a fun business this really is!
Now, I am also proud to report that Jack did very well while I was away, too. It kinda made me sad knowing that he would not have anyone to play with all day and have to spend extended periods of time in that place from which he thinks no dogs return (the crate). BUT, as with my own personal growth, Jack was able to grow as well and will now go into the crate on command and actually lay down without so much as a whimper. In fact, he spent about four hours in the crate yesterday without incident. Amazing! Good boy, Jack! I’m so proud of you.
So now, all that Jack has to fear is… er…. well…. the CAMERA! I can’t really say it is fear because he doesn’t really get that wild eyed look like he does when he hears a fire engine. But, it is clear that Jack is quickly becoming impatient and annoyed when the camera comes out and he is interrupted from his comfortable lounging on the bed or sunning on the living room floor. He is obviously NOT a poser. But he is so cute and I love him so much, how can I resist??? I mean I can hardly go get a cup of coffee without wanting to curl right up with him for a mid-afternoon snooze.
Oh well. Jack, you’ll be happy to know that pretty soon I will be too busy to annoy you. You’ll be lucky to get in that morning romp in the park, much less the after lunch one, too. So suffer me now for you will be able to rest later when the dog days of summer are upon us.
Good boy.
Tripped up to DC last weekend to see Dale and Caroline who are back in the States from Jakarta. They’re here for about two months where they can catch up with their peeps and show off their cute as a button, brand spankin’ new baby Allison.
It was great to see them as the last time was at their wedding there more than two years ago. We hung out with them Saturday and Sunday in between their visits to other family and friends. We strolled around Sunday with them, went to the Sunday market in Dupont Circle and then took the Metro down to Pennsylvania Ave and the Mall.
This is one of the coolest new building facades I have seen in DC and there is building everywhere there now. The pic doesn’t do it justice but I tried. A little too overcast to show off the brilliant colors of limestone, but the carving is pretty clear…
Capital Pride was having their parade and festival on Penn Ave this weekend so we all walked around through that (some bitchin antique cars on display there)….
and then over to the National Mueum of the American Indian which had been on the must see list for some time. This museum is spectacular in design inside and out. Just a real joy to hang out there and look at all the detail. Crowds are nowhere near where they were when it first opened. I think back then you had to stand in line for about 2 hours just to get in. Here are a few shots inside and out…
It was an awesome weekend. Stayed at The Brickskeller Inn. While not exactly fancy, it’s in a great DC location, reasonable, and has the famous Brickskeller bar on the first floor. The Brickskeller has the world’s largest beer list with over 4000 beers. Just about any beer you could possibly want. Great atmosphere in a premier DC neighborhood.
Saturday was kind of an unexpected treat with the Capital Pride Parade starting right outside our hotel. No question there was a lot of pride in that parade and the crowd was huge. It looked like everyone in DC came out for it, and just about anyone with local name recognition was in it. I’ll close this with a few shots of the parade….it was hard to contain myself with all that COLOR !!
I will never forget the last two days as long as I live.
Yesterday was one of those surreal experiences most people never even experience, thankfully. It started out when I got to the gym and the news was tuned in on the locker room TVs. It started out with reports of one fatality and several injuries in a Virginia Tech shooting. But by the time I had finished swimming laps, there were over 30 people dead and numerous injuries in what turned out to be the deadliest shooting ever in the history of the United States. A shocking event that had stunned the country.
Yesterday I pretty much stayed glued to the TV and decided to go to Blacksburg today to see the campus and try to reconcile some of this so that it felt at least somewhat real.
I got to Blacksburg at about 8:30 am and came in on the Prices Fork exit, passing by the new Alumni Center which had turned into a sea of news satellite uplink dishes.
I proceeded downtown which was eerily deserted, then parked near Mike’s Grille and began to walk toward campus. When I got to Squires, there was the first indication of what had happened…a black poster with white lettering on the doors…..
On to the War Memorial which overlooked a near deserted Drill Field, a place which would normally be full of people crossing to classes at this time of the morning.
As the day progressed, I wandered about a campus that was deserted by students and filled with assorted media reps from all over the world. They were all looking for their story and apparently there was not much success to be had as the students who were milling about were reluctant to talk.
I spent a lot of time photographing those places that are so familiar to me. But today, they were just different. There was a feeling of sadness that dripped from the air, a stark contrast in mood to the backdrop of a beautiful sunny spring day complete with the usual Blacksburg wind whipped up by the tail of an almost passed Nor’easter. That storm had actually made the task of saving the lives of the most severely injured that much more difficult as it precluded the use of Lifeguard 10 to transport them to Roanoke.
I was photographing the lobby of Burrus Hall, trying to capture the two half staff flags framed by the front doors, when a figure quickly appeared in the viewfinder and rushed through the door. It wasn’t until I had taken the shot and looked up that I realized it was President Steger on his way to his office to begin what was likely the most difficult day of his career. I realized that I had captured Dr. Steger in one of the sequence shots. I always take sequences of flag shots because it is difficult to capture the best moment of their unfurl.
Later, as I was shooting the breezeway that tunnels through Burrus Hall from the exterior sidewalks, Dr. Steger left the building on his way to a meeting in Williams Hall and I got this shot. I just can’t help but think how alone he looks here. He’s did a great job yesterday answering reporters questions at the news conference, making it apparent that he is an accomplished leader.
The rest of these shots speak for themselves for the most part. As I finished up near the VT memorial set up for last night’s candlelight vigil, I signed the memorial and took this picture of it..
Afterwards, I got three requests to be interviewed by reporters who had apparently taken footage of me signing the memorial. Answering their questions really brought home what all this had meant to me. It has been a sad, sad two days and I’m pretty sure I will think about this everyday for a while.
This campus will never be the same.
Norris Hall is in the far background….Burrus Hall is to the far left…
